Tips for Greening Your Child’s Bedroom or Nursery

It’s easy to get caught up in buying brand new, chain store stuff right from the start, especially when the Baby Industry woos you with their surplus of oversized cribs, cozy rocking chairs and cute monkey-adorned blankets. However, this is not a very sustainable choice and, often, not very healthy for your child either. A child’s developing body is more sensitive to environmental hazards than an adult’s, so it makes sense to pay more attention to what goes into your child’s bedroom – where they can spend up to one-half of their day. The materials and adhesives that go into furniture, flooring, bedding and décor often contain and emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds), a mixture of chemicals that can have adverse health effects. One common VOC, formaldehyde, is a known carcinogen. PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly used as flame retardants, and they tend to migrate from household products … Continue reading

Review: Nourish Your Skin With Bard & Finch Beauty Products

Natural Skin Care from Bard & Finch | Eco-Mothering.com

My awareness of my skin seems to increase in summer, the season of allergies, hearty UV rays and hungry little bugs. I used to throw on any old skin product, usually based on whatever was on sale. Since I entered my forties—and learned more about product ingredients—I’ve become more interested in nourishing my skin so that it thrives for the next forty years. Happily, through this blog, I’m frequently introduced to new companies and their fabulous products. Today I want to tell you about Bard & Finch, a family-owned company on the coast of Maine, surrounded by vibrant finches and chatty barred owls. Their focus? Harnessing nature’s nutrients to create nourishing products for healthy skin. The Importance of Our Skin Skin is our body’s largest organ and often reflects our health. The role of skin involves: Protecting our internal selves from bacteria and other environmental pollutants. Regulating our body temperature. Both … Continue reading

What’s the Greenest Form of Contraception?

What's the Most Eco-Friendly Form of Birth Control? | Eco-Mothering.com

While birth control methods are usually judged for their effectiveness in preventing pregnancy or STDs, their environmental impacts are often overlooked. Using any kind of birth control is an eco-friendly action since it helps reduce the earth’s carbon footprint; however, some methods are greener than others. Read my full article—which talks about the Pill, IUD, diaphragm, condoms and more—on ecoRI News. Image: pixabay.com

Beauty Inside and Out: Goddess Garden Safe Sunscreen Review

safesunscreen

This post is sponsored by Green Sisterhood but, as always, the opinion is my own. The recent beautiful New England weather has my family spending more time outdoors, which means it’s time to lather ourselves with Goddess Garden’s safe sunscreen. I learned about Goddess Garden last year, and it’s been our family’s go-to sunscreen ever since. (Scroll to bottom for details on 20% off Goddess Garden products!) As a forty-something woman who knows about the increased importance of skin protection, I want to avoid sun damage. I don’t want wrinkles and pigmentation to keep me from feeling beautiful on the outside. And I’ve learned how external beauty is often affected by what’s inside our personal care products. In the same way you want to fuel your body with healthy foods, you only want healthy products to soak into your skin—both have a direct impact on how you feel and how … Continue reading

Creating a Safe and Eco-Friendly Backyard for Your Children

Creating Eco and Child-Friendly Outdoor Spaces | Eco-Mothering.com

This is a guest post by Patricia Dimick Children have an innate desire to be outside to burn off extra energy and experience nature. Yet it can be difficult to send children outside if there is not a safe place for them to play. With these helpful hints, some planning and thrifty purchases, you can create your own safe and eco-friendly backyard using recycled and repurposed materials. Creating a Safe Space When your tiny little bundles of joy get their feet under command, they are impossible to keep up with, and a fence may be necessary. Enclose the entire area with no more than five inches between slats. The open/close or locking mechanisms of the doors should be installed out of the reach of tiny “Houdini” hands. All parts of the fencing should be checked for holes or sharp areas. Look into sustainable fence options. You should get down to … Continue reading

Safe Living with Ava Anderson Non Toxic Personal Care Products

Ava Anderson Non Toxic Products | Eco-Mothering.com

A typical fourteen-year-old likely spends her time shopping, sleeping in and socializing with friends, both in person and digitally. Ava Anderson was not your typical fourteen-year-old. At that age, horrified by an EWG report that discovered dangerous chemicals in teen urine, she began researching the health effects of the chemicals found in personal care products. She tossed her family’s supply of lotions, shampoos and makeup since they were not up to her newfound standards of safety. Unable to find products that were safe enough, Ava and her mom Kim founded Ava Anderson Non Toxic in 2009. The focus: Quality products WITHOUT harmful chemicals. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a $100 giveaway! What does that mean? It means NO parabens, synthetic fragrances, dyes, phthalates, formaldehyde, glycol, sodium laureth sulfate or petroleum byproducts. Why are these chemicals bad for you? Ava’s done the research. Learn what each chemical means, and … Continue reading

How Green is Your Mattress? Q&A With Actress Amy Smart

A Life Less Toxic: Green Mattresses Q&A with Amy Smart | Eco-Mothering.com

The Environmental Media Association’s (EMA) new PSA video “A Life Less Toxic” is the beginning in a series on living a sustainable lifestyle. In the first episode, actress and environmental activist Amy Smart along with her eco husband Carter Oosterhouse (from HGTV’s Red Hot & Green) go to the mattresses at the Naturepedic factory in Ohio. Founder Barry Cik was inspired to start the Naturepedic company during the impending birth of his first grandchild, when he was unsatisfied with the mattress choices in a baby store. They were comprised of vinyl and other toxic plastics; Barry wanted something safer for his family. What makes a mattress green? Why should we care about sleeping on one? Amy, Carter and Barry answer these questions and more in this short video. Q&A with Amy Smart Amy Smart’s interest in the environment extends back to her childhood, from her high school days volunteering for … Continue reading

Commit to Non-Toxic Living with Green Virgin Products

Non-toxic Household Cleaner | Eco-Mothering.com

Some people adopt a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle because they’re aiming to be the best they can be. Some people adopt a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle because it helps them overcome a medical condition. Some people, like Ken and Lola Marion, were inspired to go down the non-toxic road following the loss of a loved one. Ken and Lola’s research into possible causes of their brother’s untimely death from cancer led the couple to discover how everyday household products, from cleaners to laundry detergents, are filled with carcinogens. According to U.S. Poison Control Centers, cleaning products alone were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures.1 Multiply that exposure on a daily basis and it’s no wonder health problems such as allergies, asthma and bronchitis are on the rise. The Marions were inspired to create an affordable, alternative line of products safe for use on people and the environment; thus, in 2009, Green Virgin … Continue reading